The of wood carving could traced back to the New Stone Age. Nanjing's wood carving are divided into two types: the red sandalwood carving and the yellow poplar wood carving. Nanjing wood carvings are imitation antique wood carvings, with camphor trees as their major raw materials.

Nanjing wood carving works are primarily round carvings, full of strong and powerful styles with primitive simplicity. Rare animals, legendary people and gods and ghosts are constantly featured on the wood carvings.